The efficacy of the Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Therapieprogramm für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, THAV) which is a social competence training delivered in an individual format will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial with children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour.

Treatment of Children With Peer Related Aggressive Behavior With the Treatment Programme THAV - a Randomized Controlled Trial

Further study details as provided by University of Cologne:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Change in Questionnaire for Aggressive Behavior of Children (FAVK) total score for peer related aggression [ Time Frame: Change from pre- assessment to post assessment 30 weeks after treatment begin and to follow up 3 months and 9 months after post assessment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

The Questionnaire for Aggressive Behavior of Children (FAVK) is a newly developed parent rating scale which assesses several factors of peer related aggression: (1) disturbance of social cognitive information processing, (2) disturbance of social problem solving and social skills, (3) disturbance of impulse control, and (4) disturbance of social interaction. These scores a summed to a total score

The Symptom Checklist for Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder (FBB-SSV) assesses all symptom criteria for ODD and some of the symptom criteria of Conduct Disorders according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV.

The modified WFIRS is a parent rating scale for the assessment of psychosocial functioning in children with ODD/CD. The original WFIRS has been developed to assess psychosocial functioning in children with ADHD. Several items have been adapted or deleted in thise modified version.

The Social Problem Solving Test (SPST) is a newly developed test that assesses problem solving compentecies according to the social problem solving theory of Kenneth Dodge as well as behavioural tendencies in specific conflict situations.

The FMSS is a standard assessment procedure to assess negative expressed emotions within the family. The parents are asked to describe their child for five minutes. The recorded descriptions were analyzed according to several domains.

24 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training. Additionally up to 10 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents.

Active Comparator: Play group

Behavioral: Play group

12 double sessions (totally 24 treatment hours) in groups with up to 5 children. Different play activities were presented including techniques to activate resources of the child. These interventions give the children the opportunity to train pro-social interactions. Additionally up to 3 parent sessions were also included.

Detailed Description:

The German Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Therapieprogramm für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, THAV) aims at the therapy of children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour, which results in a persistent impairment of the relationships to other children. Contrary to other treatment approaches, this intervention aims at the individual treatment of problem maintaining and moderating factors of aggressive behaviour. Depending on the individual problem maintaining factors the treatment aims to modify social cognitive information processing, impulse control, social problem solving, social skills and social interactions. Methods: The efficacy will be tested in a partial randomized control group design with n=100 children. N=60 children will be treated for about half a year with the modules of THAV in weekly sessions. The control group of n=40 children will receive alternative interventions with group play and techniques to activate resources of the child. These interventions give the children the opportunity to train pro-social interactions. Outcome parameters are aggressive behaviour und comorbid symptoms as well as problem maintaining factors, psychosocial functioning, family burden and treatment satisfaction. Moreover, variables of the treatment process are assessed. Questionnaires, tests and individual problem checklist were used to assess these outcome and process parameters

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01406067

Locations

Germany

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University Cologne